Coronavirus: Taiwan hits out at WHO as new cases mount
- Covid-19 tally on the island reaches 4,917 cases and 29 deaths with 334 new local cases, five new imported cases and 256 cases delayed by a reporting backlog
- Health minister says not giving Taiwan a seat at the assembly creates a gap in the global health system
“This year, the WHA still focuses on the Covid-19 pandemic … and Taiwan is in the middle of a widening outbreak, meaning the virus does not have a border and Taiwan should never be left out to create a gap in the world’s anti-pandemic system,” Taiwanese Health Minister Chen Shih-chung said.
Chen said the world should share all information to fight the pandemic, and Taiwan’s absence from the health assembly not only damaged the island, but also the world.
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Taiwanese Foreign Minister Joseph Wu also expressed regret over the WHO’s refusal to consider the health of the island’s 23.5 million people.
He took aim at Beijing for its claims of caring for the health of the island’s public, saying the mainland’s political intervention was behind the WHO’s refusal to allow Taiwan to join the assembly.
Beijing, which claims sovereignty over Taiwan, has rallied its allies to oppose the island’s bid each time it has come up for review.
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Though Taiwan was not invited to Monday’s event, the WHA’s general committee was expected to discuss a proposal submitted by Taiwan’s 14 diplomatic allies for the island to attend the assembly as an observer.
Taiwanese foreign ministry spokeswoman Joanne Ou said the proposal had been accepted by the WHO as a supplementary item and the island’s allies had demanded a fair and open discussion of the submission.
Ou said that according to WHA practice, the general committee would discuss whether Taiwan’s bid should be included in the WHA agenda. If the committee approved the proposal, it would then send it to the plenary session for adoption in the agenda and later discussion, she said.
Ou called on the WHO to remain neutral and not be influenced by Beijing in reviewing the proposal.
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The meeting, which is taking place online this year, began on Monday as the island reported 595 new infections. The 334 local cases, five imported cases and 256 cases delayed by a reporting backlog last week brought the total number on the island to 4,917, with 29 deaths, including six new fatalities.
Chen said the six new deaths involved four men and two women aged between 60 and 70, indicating that people over 60 were at greatest risk.
So far, 335 patients have been classified as having severe cases of the disease, with 84 on ventilators, according to the Central Epidemic Command Centre.
Since Saturday, the centre has retroactively added cases to the past week’s case count – a move it said was due mainly to the computer system being overwhelmed by reports.
Chen said the centre was working to improve the computer system.
In total, there were 826 retroactively added cases in the past three days.
Chen said the centre’s tier-three alarm – the second-highest in the four-tier system – was due to expire on May 28 but it was considering an extension.
But he also called for calm, saying infections may have peaked.
“Judging from the trend of confirmed cases, it seems that the peak has reached a certain point,” he said.
Authorities on Quemoy had required all people from Taiwan proper to provide negative test results, or take rapid tests at Quemoy’s air and sea ports before entry.
But the centre revoked the requirement on Monday saying such action had to be approved by the centre.
“We understand the concern of the Quemoy government, but all local governments must stick to the anti-pandemic regulations issued by the command centre,” Chen said.
Taipei has been hit hard by the coronavirus, prompting the city to ban all dining and drinking in restaurants. Violators will be fined up to NT$15,000 (US$536).
